BBC buys US version of 'The Office'

for all you Office fans, grabbed this from the Press Office @ the Beeb -

BBC THREE has acquired the UK free-TV rights to the US version of The Office from NBC Universal International Television Distribution, it was announced today (4 March).

The six-part series, The Office - An American Workplace, is based on the award-winning BBC comedy from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, reworked for the US market by Reveille and NBC Universal Television Studios.

In the US series, the office in question is that of Dunder Mifflin paper supply company in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where Regional Manager Michael Scott (played by Steve Carrell, The Daily Show, Bruce Almighty) displays the same inappropriate management style as his British alter-ego David Brent.

Scott's painstaking efforts to be liked and look cool result in personality clashes with most of his colleagues.

BBC Controller of Acquisitions George McGhee said: "There will be a huge curiosity around the US version of The Office, and we are delighted that the BBC is bringing this series to UK audiences."

The Office - An American Workplace will be broadcast on BBC THREE later this year.

Notes to Editors

The Office - An American Workplace is executive produced by Ben Silverman, Greg Daniels, Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Howard Klein.

The series begins on NBC in the United States in March 2005.

Never watched the show in my life but thought it may interest others on TV Forum.

Cheers

I notice it only says they've aquired the "UK free-TV rights" - does this mean that a pay-TV channel such as Sky One could in effect buy the pay-TV rights to the show?

No, it means they could *actually* buy the pay-TV rights.

OK, thanks for sorting that one out...

What a waste of money - basically paying for a substandard re-filmed version of a over-hyped comedy they've already shown.

The BBC have also been criticised for spending £1.5m on US drama Triangle - a six part drama based on events around the Bermuda Triangle. They are said to have bid twice the amount of any other broadcaster.

The BBC also bid for the rights to Desperate Housewives - not sure where they would have scheduled that, but it would not have got upto 5m viewers.

I think it's actually quite a good idea to show the US Office. For a start there is a huge curiosity factor from fans of the programme wanting to know what it is like. Also having seen the pilot episode it will be a good exercise to show just what the Yanks can do to good television!

God, does every single thread have to be splashed with you harping on about how the licence fee is wasted on absolutely everything? Fúck's sake - we know you hate the BBC, so change the sodding record or just shut the hell up.

Wow, The Office was already boring and irratating with Ricky Gervais, and now theres an american version!

Great!

Since the Yanks make so much excellent television themselves (24, Sopranos, West Wing, Family Guy, South Park, Six Feet Under, Curb Your Enthusiasm etc), I don't really know what point you're trying to make here...

Yes it has to be said, as far as original and innovative programming goes, the Americans are certainly way ahead of us at the moment!

Although it is true that they do occasionally steal our programmes and make them rubbish. Fawlty Towers, Red Dwarf and Coupling for example.

I like how the article refers to it being bought due to the "curiosity". I think that's a polite way of saying people want to see how the yanks have ruined it.

If you read carefully I said 'can do to great television'..... they can make it themselves, but when they get hold of some from elsewhere they mess it up.